RPS Publications & Citing RPS
This page provides access to publications for learning more about RPS concepts and example projects that have applied the RPS Tool to inform the selection of priority waters and watersheds. This page also describes how to cite the RPS Tool and data.
On this page:
RPS Publications
The documents below describe RPS concepts and example uses of the RPS Tool. While these documents refer to RPS using its previous name (Recovery Potential Screening) and apply previous iterations of the RPS Tool and data, they describe example approaches and concepts which are still relevant today.
| Document Title | Category | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Journal Article | This paper was published in Environmental Management in August 2009. It describes an indicator-based method for setting restoration priorities among large numbers of impaired waters by screening for differences in recovery potential. The paper introduces the screening methods and their programmatic purpose, and describes three example state or multi-state studies. The publication remains relevant as a discussion of the general RPS approach and need within watershed programs, but it precedes many advances in RPS Tool development and more recent RPS projects. | |
| Urban Waters WRAP River System Project Report | Report | This report describes pilot projects completed by the EPA Urban Waters Partnership to work with stakeholders in Texas and Arizona to identify systemic barriers and strategic opportunities for collaborative actions to integrate water reuse and water equity into water resource management at the river system scale. The RPS Tool was applied to understand and compare subwatershed conditions in the two pilot areas. |
| Report | The purpose of this 2021 document is to illustrate how the Recovery Potential Screening Tool can be set up to evaluate and compare watersheds for sediment and nutrient runoff into coral reef ecosystems. This document helps set up the tool, select appropriate indicators for evaluating where conditions promote the likelihood of sediment and nutrient runoff, and interpret the outputs for purposes of prioritizing management activities. | |
| Report | This report summarizes methods and takeaways of pilot analytical assistance projects with three state Nonpoint Source (NPS) programs. Each project applied the RPS Tool to identify subwatersheds where NPS issues and disadvantaged communities co-occur. | |
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RPS of Kentucky Watersheds in Support of Nutrients Management. (pdf) |
Report | Between 2013 and 2015, EPA Office of Water assisted several states in performing statewide assessments to help inform nutrients management strategies and priority setting. A two-stage approach was applied in each state project to compare HUC8 watersheds in an initial, targeting stage and then screen and compare HUC12s in a second, implementation-oriented stage. All of the projects encouraged state-specific customization of the approach. This report describes Kentucky’s RPS nutrients project. |
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RPS of Tennessee Watersheds in Support of Nutrients Management (pdf) |
Report | Between 2013 and 2015, EPA Office of Water assisted several states in performing statewide assessments to help inform nutrients management strategies and priority setting. A two-stage approach was applied in each state project to compare HUC8 watersheds in an intial, targeting stage and then screen and compare HUC12s in a second, implementation-oriented stage. All of the projects encouraged state-specific customization of the approach. This report describes Tennessee’s RPS nutrients project. |
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RPS of Louisiana Watersheds in Support of Nutrients Management. (pdf) |
Report | Between 2013 and 2015, EPA Office of Water assisted several states in performing statewide assessments to help inform nutrients management strategies and priority setting. A two-stage approach was applied in each state project to compare HUC8 watersheds in an initial, targeting stage and then screen and compare HUC12s in a second, implementation-oriented stage. All of the projects encouraged state-specific customization of the approach. This report describes Louisiana’s RPS nutrients project. |
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RPS of New Mexico Watersheds in Support of Nutrients Management (pdf) |
Report | Between 2013 and 2015, EPA Office of Water assisted several states in performing statewide assessments to help inform nutrients management strategies and priority setting. A two-stage approach was applied in each state project to compare HUC8 watersheds in an intial, targeting stage and then screen and compare HUC12s in a second, implementation-oriented stage. All of the projects encouraged state-specific customization of the approach. This report describes New Mexico’s RPS nutrients project. |
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RPS of Iowa Watersheds in Support of Nutrients Management (pdf) |
Report | Between 2013 and 2015, EPA Office of Water assisted several states in performing statewide assessments to help inform nutrients management strategies and priority setting. A two-stage approach was applied in each state project to compare HUC8 watersheds in an intial, targeting stage and then screen and compare HUC12s in a second, implementation-oriented stage. All of the projects encouraged state-specific customization of the approach. This report describes Iowa’s RPS nutrients project. |
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RPS of North Dakota Watersheds in Support of Nutrients Management (pdf) |
Report | Between 2013 and 2015, EPA Office of Water assisted several states in performing statewide assessments to help inform nutrients management strategies and priority setting. A two-stage approach was applied in each state project to compare HUC8 watersheds in an intial, targeting stage and then screen and compare HUC12s in a second, implementation-oriented stage. All of the projects encouraged state-specific customization of the approach. This report describes North Dakota’s RPS nutrients project. |
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RPS of Kansas Watersheds in Support of Nutrients Management (pdf) |
Report | Between 2013 and 2015, EPA Office of Water assisted several states in performing statewide assessments to help inform nutrients management strategies and priority setting. A two-stage approach was applied in each state project to compare HUC8 watersheds in an intial, targeting stage and then screen and compare HUC12s in a second, implementation-oriented stage. All of the projects encouraged state-specific customization of the approach. This report describes Kansas' RPS nutrients project. |
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RPS of Massachusetts Watersheds in Support of Nutrients Management (pdf) |
Report | Between 2013 and 2015, EPA Office of Water assisted several states in performing statewide assessments to help inform nutrients management strategies and priority setting. A two-stage approach was applied in each state project to compare HUC8 watersheds in an intial, targeting stage and then screen and compare HUC12s in a second, implementation-oriented stage. All of the projects encouraged state-specific customization of the approach. This report describes Massachusetts' RPS nutrients project. |
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Multi-Scale Screening Assessment of Recovery Potential in Maryland Watersheds (pdf) |
Report | This 2010 screening assessment was undertaken collaboratively by Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) and the EPA to determine which of the impaired watersheds were the strongest candidates for restoration and re-attainment of water quality standards. The purpose was to help inform strategies for targeting restoration efforts where they would be more likely to result in successful restoration progress and eventual removal of currently impaired waters from impaired waters lists. |
| Report | This 2008-2009 study was a joint RPS effort of state and federal agencies with common interests in rehabilitating abandoned mine lands, restoring native fish habitats and returning impaired waters to healthy condition. Results increased the awareness of mutual restoration interests among fisheries, mining and water quality agencies and programs at state and federal level and led to new funding in some high-ranking watersheds. | |
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Comparing the Restorability of Illinois Impaired Waters: A Recovery Potential Pilot Study (pdf) |
Report | This 2005 demonstration, which was the first RPS state-level project, explored the feasibility of measuring over 100 indicators relevant to watershed condition and restorability. It focused on several hundred impaired waters statewide and evaluated several different types of multi-metric indices for comparing and contrasting watershed conditions with attention to management prospects. |
Citing RPS
The RPS Team is glad that you have found value in using RPS and are interested in referencing our data, tools or resources in your own publication. Based on your situation, please use the appropriate citation below.
- If you are citing RPS as an overall framework for comparing and prioritizing waters or watersheds, please cite this publication:
- Norton, D.J., Wickham, J.D., Wade, T.G., Kunert, K., Thomas, J.V., and Zeph, P. 2009. A method for comparative analysis of recovery potential in impaired waters restoration planning. Environmental Management, 44:356-368.
- If you are citing a specific indicator in the RPS Indicator Database, please use this citation:
- United States Environmental Protection Agency. Restoration and Protection Screening Indicator Database. Enter Indicator Name from Metadata. Retrieved: Enter Month, Day, Year, from epa.gov/rps.
- If you are referencing a page on this website:
- United States Environmental Protection Agency. Restoration and Protection Screening. Enter Web Page Title. Retrieved: Enter Month, Day, Year, from Enter Exact URL Accessed or www.epa.gov/rps for general citation.